Advertising device



Dec. 22, 1959 F. o. HARRISON F-TAL 2,917,852

ADVERTISING DEVICE Filed Sept. 13, 1954 4 Sheets-Shot 1 k f L FIG. .1.

. INVENTORS FLOYD o. zmee/so/v,

HUBEET /vsz.sa/v,

ATTORNEY 09:. 22, 1959 F. o. HARRISON ETAL 2,917,852

ADVERTISING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 13, 1954 INVENTORS FLOYD o. Haze/$0M #05557 NELSO/Y BY Z ATTORN Y Dec. 22, 1959 mso ETAL 2,917,852

ADVERTISING DEVICE Filed Sept. 13, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 7 INVENTOIE FL 0 Y0 O. I/QEE/SO #085197 NEL SO/V,

Dec. 22, 1959 F. o. HARRISON EIAL 2,917,852

ADVERTISING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. 13, 1954 INVENTORS FLOYD O. HAEQ/SOM NELSO/V,

ATTORNEY 2,917,852 ADVERTISING DEVICE I Floyd 0. Harrison and Hubert Nelson; Uvalde, Tex. Application September 13, 1954, Serial Nd. 455,418 1 6 (Claims; c1. 40 106.22

This invention relates to advertiz'ing devicesof the type which attract the attention of the prospective consumer by presenting an illusion of a mysterious operation.

The main object is to .construct a device which not only has an attractive decorated appearance but which at the same time presents a mysterious hydraulic operation which immediately arouses the curiosity of an observer and challenges. his knowledge of mechanical construction and gravitational andhydraulic principles.

Another and more specific object is to present a display device showing a continuous stream of liquid pouring from a tilted transparent container with 'no apparent source of liquid replenishment to supply to continuous outflow which is being drained away, while at the same time accompanying this curious hydraulic behavior by a mysterious juggling operation which seems to defy the laws of gravity.

A further object is to provide an advertizing display comprising a decorative framework equipped with light reflecting moving surfaces, glittering and colorful trimmings and lights around a centrally hung large bottle of beverage or other advertized fluid in a substantially horizontal position with its neck to one side from which a continuous stream of the liquid issues and drops into a drain funnel, the large bottle apparently having no source of replenishment of the outflowing liquid, and a horizontal revolving support below this large bottle having arms that extend to intercept the continuous stream at each revolution to show that there is no transparent supply tubing between the funnel and the bottle which might serve as a source of replenishment hidden inside the continuous stream.

A further object is to mount some commercial containers of the beverage or liquid being advertized, on the revolving support in such manner, and cause the support to intermittently shake, so that the containers are made to wobble precariously yet never topple over in spite of a shaking that would normally appear to be sufficient to overturn them.

A further object is to mount the support eccentrically on its revolving drive shaft and to provide resilient lost motion therebetween as a part of the shaking means.

Other and more specific objects will appear in the following detailed description of'one embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in

which, 7 I V Fig. 1 is a general view in front elevation of an illustrative example of the arrangement of parts serving as the basicframework which may 'be suitably decorated and provided with advertizing material to which the device is intended to draw attention,

Fig. 2 is a top view thereof,

--Fig. 3 is an end elevational view,

- Fig.4 is a sectional detail view, somewhat enlarged, taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1,

Patented Dec. 22, 1959 i 8 and 9 are detail sectional views taken along the correspondingly marked lines in Figs. 1 and 8 respectively,

Fig. 10 is a detail section taken on line 1010 of Fig. 1, and .Fig. 11 is an enlarged detail section taken on the line 11-41 of Fig. 3-.

The apparatus shown may be made portable by being built on a movable base. and mounted on swivelled hard rubber roller casters, or built up on the floor of a show window or the like, which will serve as the base 20.

The main part of the frame may be built up with two up-right members or posts 21 and two horizontal members extending therebetween: the one at the top, 22 may be suitably arched and provided with notches 23 and 24 (see Fig. 2), the lower one 25, mounted near the base,

'Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail section taken on the line is covered with fabric to simulate a rope in portions of "the fluid conducting means,

may provide a support for a drain funnel 26 and flash light 27. It is to be understood that these frame members may be elaborately decorated with lights and attracwtive trimmings pleasing to the eye and drawing attention to appropriate advertising material that may be used in connection with the display.

. The large bottle 28 is half filled with a liquid 29 which may be the subject of the advertizement, and is suspended in a horizontal position by two pieces of rope 30 and 31, clamped as shown in loops around the neck and base in a horizontal position by two pieces of rope 30 and 31, in the notchesby ferrules 32 and 33 placed over the notches and gripping the ropes in their sleeve portions by means of set screws 34.

The portion of the rope between the neck of the bottle and its notch is actually made up ofa copper tubing covered over with a rope fabric as shown in Fig. 7 in detail to simulate the appearance of the rest of the rope which hasa Wire cable core which may be soldered to the ends of the tubular core in this portion, as shown in Fig. 4, at 75.

The lower end of tubular core is bent upwardly and passed thru the neck of the bottle 35, as may best be seen in Fig. 4, and is sealed thereto by aquarium cement as shown. This is done after the cork 36 is firmly inserted in place, the cork having a hollowed-out inner end 37 communicating with an elbow 38 extending from the outer end thereof, as may-be seen more clearly in Fig. 10,

and a perforated screen cover 39 fitted over the inner end of the cork to eliminate fluid surging motion passing into the visible portion of the fluid in the bottle, the corked end of the bottle being decoratively covered with a piece of tin foil 40.

A revolving table 41 is mounted on a shaft 42 passing through the middle of horizontal member 25. Shaft 42 is driven through reduction gearing 43 by a motor 44. The motor and gearing are enclosed by housing 45. The housing may be covered by a multisided dome 46 fixed to shaft 42 for rotation therewith, the sides or faces being made of mirrored surfaces 47 separated by upright transparent partition sheets 48 to form a part of the attractive decorations which reflect moving beams of light during operation and add to the glitter of other attractive trimmings and lights that may be appropriately used to provide a pleasing setting for theapparatus. 49 is an annular base plate and forms a part of the dome framework for holding the mirrors and partition sheets together at .the bottom of the dome 46.

Arrow pointed rods 50 extending from the underside of table 41' in opposite directions from arms which revolve with the table and pass across the path of the continuous liquid stream duringeach revolution-to show the absence of any possible transparent conduits being hidden in the stream for supplying the liquid for the stream. The rods at this point are flattened vertically and have a sharp ridge at the upper edgeto provide a minimum of splattering of the liquid as they pass the stream, so that the funnel 26, aided by its protruding lip 51 will catch all of the deflected spray each time an arm passes through the stream.

The arms-have upright portions 52 at their ends to form supports for shelves 53 which may be fixed to them as Tsho'wn. Commercial bottles of the liquid 54being'advertized may be placed on these shelves as *well as on the table 41 and fixed thereto by invisible plastic vacuum cups 55 which are flexible enough to permit the bottles to wobble but prevent them from toppling even when "severely shaken. Thus, the arms and table may be intermittently caused to shake by any suitable means duringtheir revolution to make the bottles wobble precariously, yet they will not fall over. One such means may be provided'by protrusions such as 56 on the inner side of the flash light 27, in the path of the arrow points 57 on the rods the arms being springy enough to flex slightly before being released by the protrusions, causing both the arms and table to shake vigorously. The protrusions 56 may be switch buttons for simultaneously turning the flash light 27 on and off, the flash light being directed at some interesting part of the display such as the fluid in the large bottle 28 which may be water in which some aquatic decorations might be placed. The notches 57 and 58 at the top of the bottle 28 maybe cut 'out to form openings in which and through which other decorations might be placed as desired, as well as to facilitate cleaning the inside of the bottle when necessary.

Obviously, other decorations as well as advertizing signs may be mounted on the moving parts as well. For example little platforms 59 and 60 may be removably mounted on the arms 59, if desired, as shown in Fig. 1, for mounting signs such as Pause and Refresh, etc.

Flexible copper tubing of small size such as 61 may be used for supp-lying the liquid through the frame as shown in Figs. 1, 4, 5 and 11, and may be connected to conduits formed in metal fittings as may be required, by soldered connections, as shown in Figs. 11 and 5. The liquid that falls into funnel 26 fills the funnel to the level of-the drainage opening 62 which is formed in the outer funnel 63, as shown more clearly in Fig. 9, Where it flows out by way of the copper tubing 64 passing through the lower member 25 and down through the post 21 on the right side of the frame, to the hollow bolt 65 which holds down the post base to the floor 20 of the apparatus. Thus the inlet 66 and outlet 6'7 for the liquid circuit are passed through the floor and may be provided with fittin'gs for connection to the local domestic water supply and drainage system, or to a variable delivery circulation pump 68 as shown in Fig. 5 for a closed circuit operation, with or without a surge reservoir 69 in'the'line, as 'may be desired.

To get ample shaking effects for the bottle on the table 41, it should be placed eccentrically. Also, instead of relying on the springy nature of the arms 50 for permit'ting them to pass the protrusions with a snap, they may be resiliently mounted with a slight lost motion to the table, so that they will rotate eccentrically with re spect to the table when the protrusion stops the arrow point until the point is pulled away from the protrusion to permit the resilient means to snap them back quickly to their normal position with respect to the table. This snapping action may be arranged to occur just as the arm is about to enter the liquid stream, so that it will cross the stream during the snapping action and will therefore cause the deflection of the minimum amount of the stream.

As'shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the outer funnel is broken and sealed off by a glass disc 70 inside the frame member -25, while'the inner funnel is cut just short-of this glass disc, so that funnel appears'to be open right through, yet

the liquid does not pass through it but disappears just as mysteriously as it 'is supplied.

-Many modifications in the arrangement of parts as well as decorations and advertizing material may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An attractive illusion presenting display stand comprising a hollow frame having'horizontal upper and lower members, a bottle suspended'in a substantially horizontal position by two pieces of standard rope from the upper member, said pieces being looped around'the neck andthe base of the bottle, the loop ends being clamped to their respective pieces at the top of the loops, V notches 'in'the front of said upper member'for holding said pieces, standard clamped collars on said pieces for adjustably supporting their upper ends over said notches, and hidden flexible liquid supply conduits "passed loosely through said frame to the back of said one piece of rope belowits suspension collar and through the core of said piece and into the-neck of the bottle, a cork in the end of said neck fitted with a dispensing tube, tinfoil or the like covering over the'neck of the bottle to hide the portion of the supply means passed therethrough, and a funnel set in and passing through said lower member, directly below said dispensing tube having a hidden connection within said lower member to intercept the liquid falling into said funnel'and to carry it away internally tocreate an illusion that the liquid disappears mysteriously, since it does not drain from the lower exposed end of said funnel.

2. .A display stand as defined in claim 1 in which th frame includes two uprights, one on each side thereof having bases with hardware parts for mounting them to a floor, at least one of said parts being hollow for passing through thefloor, and a hidden connection 'between'said hollow and said supply means in said base, and a fitting at the lowerend of said hollow part for connection to-a source of water supply to provide a continuous outflow of water from said bottle with apparently no possible means of replenishment in the bottle.

3. A display stand as defined in claim 2, and a rotating arm mounted for horizontal rotation under said bottle and being long enough to intercept the outflow stream from said bottle to show the absence of any possible transparent supply conduit that might be hidden in said stream, thus to increase the speculation of the onlookers as to the possible source of supply for said stream.

4. A display stand as defined in claim 3, said funnel having a transparent glass bottom and a hidden overflow in said hiddenconnection to maintain a level of water in the funnel, said connection including drain means hidden in said frame passing from said overflow through another of said hardware parts to a fitting under the floor adapted for connection to a public drainage system.

5. A display stand as defined in claim 4, wherein-said funnel has an extension lip in the direction of movement of said arm across said stream to catch the deflected water streamas the arm crosses it. p

6. A display stand'as defined in claim 5 wherein said arm portion crossing the stream is flattened vertically and has a sharp edge on top to reduce deflection of the stream to a minimum.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

